1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a coin chute which is operable to accept a variety of differently sized coins and coin combinations by altering or exchanging the coin carrying slide. More specifically, the coin chute includes coin sizing dogs which are arranged to be operatively associated with any one of various coin slides without requiring internal adjustment of said dogs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin controlled timing units are usually installed on commercial appliances such as clothes washers, dryers, vending machines and the like. The coin control is enclosed within a housing mounted on the appliance or machine and the housing is usually provided with a locked coin drawer which prevents unauthorized access to a coin receptacle located in spaced relation to the coin control. The coin control includes a coin chute having a coin slide reciprocally mounted in a guide track for projected and retracted movement. The coin slide is formed having a coin receiving portion whereby the presence of a coin therein is operative to allow projected movement of the coin slide to the operate position thereof. The coin is transmitted to the coin receptacle upon projected movement of the coin slide. The inner end of the coin slide is provided with an operator for actuating the appliance or machine upon continued projected movement of the slide to the operate position thereof.
In the prior art, there are numerous types of coins slide assemblies, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,259, which, while fulfilling their intended functions satisfactorily, are not easily adaptable by the vending machine owner to accomodate changes in coin denomination. When such changes in coin denomination are desired, it is common practice to return the coin chute to the manufacture to replace the coin slide with one that will accept the new size coin or coins.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,984 overcomes the prior problem of the need to return the coin chute to the manufacturer for coin slide replacement by providing easily adjustable sizing dogs to permit accommodation of various sized coins. However, as well as this device works, it still requires that the vending machine owner make internal adjustments to the sizing dogs of the coin chute whenever a different combination of coins other than that for which the device was originally set, is to be used. The present invention improves further over the prior art in the manner hereinafter described.